Stark wins Paint Off! competition

Whistler Arts Council event kicks off the ArtWalk

The fourth edition of the annual Paint Off! Competition proved to be a good one for Vanessa Stark.

The Whistler artist won the public art competition by garnering the largest number of public votes at the Whistler Arts Council's (WAC) kickoff to ArtWalk. The event took place on Saturday and Sunday in Village Square.

The first place finisher in the voting was awarded $800 on Sunday, July 7. Maria Sandner was given $400 for second place and Lani Imrie received $200 for getting the third largest number of votes out of the 1,200 ballots cast.

Stark's popular piece was a colourful landscape featuring a bear in the foreground, keeping an eye on two people in a canoe paddling across a lake under a brilliant orange sky.

Stark said she incorporated a map of Whistler into her piece, which she created over the course of the two days.

"While we were painting people were voting so from the beginning to the end the pieces changed so much," said Stark. "It's pretty cool, it was actually amazing."

She said the artists interacted with each other and with the public.

"Tons of kids come up and want to talk and want to tell you they love painting and they're going to be an artist when they grow up. It's super cute," Stark said.

This was the second year Stark has painted the most popular work.

Said organizer Anna Solich: "Many people visited the installation multiple times throughout the two days to track the progress of their favourite artworks. The artists deserve a big congratulations for participating in this great event that reflects Whistler's unique arts culture."